If you want to do a more thorough scan, which will take longer but will check all your files and running programs, you can instead click the “Scan options” button, and choose “Full scan.” To do this, go to “Windows Security” > “Virus & threat protection,” and click the “Quick scan” button. Windows Security’s built-in virus and threat protection feature. However, if you want to do periodic spot checks, you can manually run a scan. You can then click the “Open Windows Security” button to get access to the full app.Īfter you’ve got it open, here’s some of what you can do: Run a malware scan on Windows 11īy default, Windows’ built-in security will run in the background and attempt to immediately block any malicious files that make their way to your computer. You can also get to it by going to “Settings” > “Privacy & Security” > “Windows Security,” which will give you a quick overview of your system’s status.

To open it, you can simply type “Windows Security” into the Start menu search. But when it comes to good old-fashioned software security, Windows 11 is relatively simple. Microsoft has also been pushing security with Windows 11, even going so far as to confusingly lock out people with older computers that don’t have certain hardware. Microsoft’s built-in anti-malware software used to be thought of as totally worthless, but these days, it can hang with big names like Kaspersky and Avast in independent tests ( blocking 99.7% of threats). Searching “Windows Defender” in the Start menu will bring up Windows Security, and even now, Microsoft often refers to its actual antivirus scanning as Windows Defender.

Once upon a time, Windows Security was called Windows Defender Security Center, but the app is largely similar. If you think your PC is infected with some kind of malware or you just want to do a scan as part of a digital cleanup, Windows has a built-in security tool that can help you on your way - no third-party software to install or pay for.

Windows defender periodic scanning